1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a container for holding disposable pipette tips, and relates more particularly to a container for holding a plurality of disposable pipette tips for use in a pipetting apparatus, which can hold a plurality of pipette tips upright in a predetermined aligned pattern and therefore install the aligned pipette tips to a pipette rack for the pipetting apparatus with the tips being held on the container. This invention further relates to a package accommodating the container, and relates more particularly to a package which accommodates two containers each holding the pipette tips so as to be able to ship or transport many disposable pipette tips with one package without being received any damage during the shipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a pipetting apparatus which is used in chemical analysis and laboratory testing, many disposable pipette tips are used for supplying an object to be analyzed or a reagent to aligned many test tubes. In such a pipetting apparatus, a pipette rack having many aligned apertures to which the disposable pipette tips are to be installed is used. In use of the pipetting apparatus, the disposable tips which have been installed in the pipette rack are attached to sampling nozzles of the apparatus and then sample the object to be analyzed or reagent through the disposable tips and pipette it to the test tubs automatically.
In the meantime, conventionally, disposable pipette tips are taken out from a vinyl bag or carton in which many tips are contained at random and then they are installed in the apertures of the pipette rack one by one manually. For example, if the number of the apertures of the pipette rack is ninety, ninety tips are taken out from the bag and then they are inserted into the apertures of the pipette rack one by one manually. However, this operation is very troublesome, and further if the number of tips to be installed is too large, it takes so long time to complete the operation.
Further, conventionally, when pipette tips are forwarded or shipped to users such as laboratories or hospitals from a manufacturer, a large number of disposable pipette tips are shipped under the condition that they are contained in a vinyl bag or a carton at random as described above. However, since the disposable tip is formed of a plastic material which is easily deformed, there is a case that some of the disposable tips are deformed when the bag or carton is pressed during the shipment.
In view of these problems, a package for unitizing and shipping pipette tips has been proposed, which is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,282.
The proposed package includes a container for holding a plurality of pipette tips upright in a predetermined array pattern, and an open-topped box which can accommodate the container.
The container includes an upper array holding panel having a plurality of openings therethrough in a predetermined array pattern, and a lower array holding panel lying beneath and spaced from the upper array holding panel. The lower array holding panel also has a plurality of openings therethrough that substantially match in vertical alignment and in array pattern the plurality of openings in the upper array holding panel. Between the upper and lower array holding panels, there is formed side panels which connect the lower array holding panel to the upper array holding panel. At the fold lines between the lower array holding panel and the side panels, there are formed frangible connections which are fractured by a compressive force exerted on the upper and lower array holding panels causing them to move toward each other. The frangible connections are formed from perforated fold lines which can be relatively easily to separate the lower panel from the side panels when the compressive force is exerted on the upper and lower array holding panels.
Further, the open-topped box is constituted so as to be able to accommodate the container which holds the tips. The container is removably accommodated in the open-topped box. The open-topped box further includes an integrally formed cover which covers the accommodated container. In the accommodated condition, tip portions of the tips are protruded into a hollow space defined in the box and movements of the tips are regulated by the array holding panels. Therefore, there is less possibility that the tips are damaged during the shipment thereof.
In use of the package at the point of use, first the container with many tips is removed from the box. Next, the container is placed onto a pipette support having many aligned apertures which are positionally corresponding to the openings of the array holding panels in such a manner that each of the tips is inserted into the corresponding aperture in the pipette support. Thereafter, the operator press the container against the pipette support until the perforated fold lines are torn. When the perforated fold line are torn, the lower array holding panel is brought into contact with the upper panel and then the pipette tips are installed onto the pipette support through the overlapped panels.
The proposed package for unitizing and shipping pipette tips are convenient since it is not necessary to perform such operation that installs the pipette tips into the apertures of the pipette support one by one manually. Further, there is less possibility that any damage is suffered during the shipment.
However, the conventional proposed package requires in use to press the container against the pipette support until the perforated fold lines are torn, which requires a certain force which is suitable to tear the perforated fold lines. If given force is too large, there is a possibility that some of the tips which are held in the container fall out from the container due to the reaction which would be caused when the upper array holding panel abut with the pipette support after the perforated fold lines are torn. Therefore, it is required to determine a suitable force for tearing the perforated fold lines when used. Furthermore, in the conventional proposed package, it is necessary to form the perforated lines to a blank of the container in the manufacturing process thereof. However, the process which forms the perforated lines is relatively troublesome. Moreover, in the conventional proposed package, the number of pipette tips which can ship with one package is limited because only one container is accommodated in the package.